The luminary, tireless servant of God known as Saint John Neumann was born in 1811 in Prachatice, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). Embracing a life of religious vocation, he joined the Redemptorist order and journeyed to the United States in 1836. John’s unwavering dedication to education led him to establish the first diocesan Catholic school system in America. In 1852, he became the Bishop of Philadelphia, where he fervently worked to support immigrants and foster spiritual growth. John’s humility, simplicity, and deep spirituality earned him sainthood, inspiring countless souls to seek God’s love in their lives. St. John Neumann Time Period: 1811-1860 Feast Day: January 5 Title/Attributes: Bishop, Confessor Location of Relic: Back Right Reliquary - Right Section Type of Relic: Bones Jan Nepomucký Neumann was born in Prachatitz on March 28, 1811, and was educated in the Seminary in Budéjovice, which then belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and then in Prague, where he completed his theological studies. His ordination having been postponed due to the excessive number of students preparing for the priesthood, the young Neumann went to Strasbourg, joining a mission project for America, wandered to Paris, then to Le Havre, from where he left, poor and alone, for New York. Here the Bishop at the time, Monsignor Dubois, ordained him a priest on June 25, 1836. Here, in the Niagara Falls region, in Williamsville, then in North Bush, he remained four years, all dedicated to the priestly ministry for the lumberjacks. His desire for perfection and community life led him to join the Redemptorists of Italian origin, always dedicating his ministry to German-speaking emigrants, first in Baltimore, where he took his religious vows, then in Pittsburgh, where he was called to lead the House that the Redemptorists had opened there. For three years Pittsburgh was his residence, with many engagements. Returning to Baltimore, he exercised the parish ministry in the church of St. Alphonsus, as the first Redemptorist parish priest in America, always first in work and sacrifice, always last in rest, always a model of regular religious observance. Here he had to accept, in 1852, the nomination to the episcopal see of Philadelphia. The new responsibilities doubled his pastoral zeal. Overcoming difficulties of every kind, he managed to found about one hundred Catholic schools, tireless in pastoral visits, in contact with the poor and hard-working people. He founded the first Italian Parish in Philadelphia, dedicated to the Florentine Saint Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi, and began the construction of the monumental Cathedral Church. He was in Italy in 1854 for the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, and visited his country of origin. He wrote various works, including a famous Catechism, republished many times. He died, struck down by a sudden illness that struck him on the street on January 5, 1860; he was not yet 49 years old. He is buried in the Church of St. Peter in Philadelphia. https://www.causesanti.va/it/santi-e-beati/giovanni-nepomuceno-neumann.html Next Item Previous Item

The youngest canonized saint in the Catholic Church, Maria Goretti lived a simple life with great joy, endured a brutal attack with great sanctity, and has produced countless miracles around the world. Born to a poor peasant family in 1890, Maria quickly grew in grace and maturity from the hardships of her life. At the age of 11, she fought off the advances of a neighbor’s son, who in turn, stabbed her to death. In her last breath, she forgave her attacker, dying as a virgin and martyr; the perfect embodiment of what it means to be “pure of heart.” St. Maria Goretti Time Period: 1890-1902 Feast Day: July 6 Title/Attributes: Virgin, Martyr Location of Relic: Back Left Reliquary - Center Section Type of Relic: Bones To hear the story of the courageous Saint Maria Goretti – committed to purity, willing to undergo death rather than participate in sin, willingly forgiving her attacker even as she lay on her deathbed – one would be amazed to learn that this “Little Saint of Great Mercy” was only eleven years old. The youngest canonized saint in the Catholic Church, Maria lived a simple life with great joy, endured a brutal attack with great sanctity, and has produced countless miracles around the world. Fr. Carlos Martins, the generous priest who is donating many of the relics coming to the Our Lady of the Angels chapel, said that of all the saint relics he ministers with, St. Maria Goretti has by far produced the most miracles. Maria Goretti was born to a poor peasant family in 1890, the third of seven children living in Corinaldo, Italy. Her father, a farmer named Luigi Goretti, moved the family when Maria was six years old from the east side of Italy (near Ancona) to the west side (near Nettuno) in hopes of escaping the widespread poverty in that area. Sadly, Maria’s father would pass away from malaria when she was just nine. Her mother, Assunta Carlini, dutifully took his place working in the fields along with Maria’s older siblings, leaving young Maria the role of caring for her younger siblings. The family scraped by but was able to survive by working the fields for an Italian Count, and sharing a building with a man named Giovanni Serenelli, and his teenaged son, Alessandro. Despite the hardships, the family was very close and loved God. Maria was a cheerful young girl who would bring back any treats from kind neighbors or merchants to share with her siblings. Maria would make frequent trips into the nearby villages to sell eggs and chickens and she would visit the shrine of Our Lady of Graces. Her family was too poor to pay for Masses in her father’s memory, but she would pray the rosary every night for the repose of her father’s soul. Maria quickly grew in grace and maturity and her piety was noticed by all those around her. Along with her role of caring for her family, Maria also was tasked with cooking and cleaning for the Serenelli family. The 20-year-old Alessandro began to develop an impure attraction towards Maria. He would utter rude and inappropriate comments towards her that caused Maria to tearfully run away. In June of 1902, Alessandro began ordering the 11-year-old Maria to perform increasingly difficult chores, none of which were able to be completed to his satisfaction, while he continued to make several physical advances on Maria. The pious future saint could rebuff Alessandro’s crude actions but chose to remain silent, not speaking to her mother about her tormentor for fear of causing trouble. On July 5 1902, Maria was sitting outside the steps of her home watching her napping younger sister Teresa while mending one of Alessandro’s shirts while he was out threshing beans. Knowing Maria would be alone, Alessandro returned to the house and suddenly sprung up behind her, demanding she enter a bedroom with him. As usual, Maria refused, but this time Alessandro grabbed her, pulling her into the bedroom and closing the door. Alessandro demanded that Maria submit to him, but she vehemently refused, protesting that what he wanted to do was a mortal sin, and that he would go to hell. Undeterred, Alessandro attempted to rape Maria while she fought desperately and continued to scream “No! It is a sin! God does not want it!” Alessandro first attempted to choke Maria, but when she insisted that she would rather die than to submit to sin, he became enraged. Alessandro stabbed Maria 14 times with an awl, before fleeing to his bedroom where he pretended to be asleep. Little Teresa awoke crying from the noise of the attack. When Maria’s mother, Assunta, came to check on Maria, she found Maria on the floor bleeding. Maria was rushed to the nearest hospital in Nettuno, where she survived for 20 hours, undergoing a painful surgery on her lacerations without anesthesia. The surgeons were amazed that Maria had survived the attack at all, and when Maria awoke halfway through the surgery, a saddened doctor said to her, “Maria, think of me in Paradise.” Maria, looked inquisitively at the doctor and said, “Well, who knows which of us is going to be there first?” When the doctor solemnly told her that she would soon be entering Heaven’s gates, Maria replied, “Then I will gladly think of you.” Maria gave a dying deposition to the Chief of Police, recounting Alessandro’s sexual harassment and attack. With just minutes left to live, Maria was asked if she forgave her murderer. Maria’s last words were “I forgive Alessandro Serenelli…and I want him with me in heaven forever.” Maria died on July 6, 1902 at the age of eleven. Unrepentant for his attack, Alessandro was sentenced to 30 years in prison. For many years, he was uncommunicative with the world, still refusing to show remorse for Maria’s murder. One night, Alessandro had a vivid dream in which he was standing in a garden next to Maria, who was dressed in white. Maria turned to him, smiling, and offered him a handful of flowers, but each lily he took from her transformed into a still, white flame at his touch. Then Maria disappeared. When Alessandro awoke, he was a changed man. Alessandro immediately repented for his crime and began to reform his life. He was released from prison after serving 28 years, and his first act in freedom was to travel directly to Maria’s mother and beg for her forgiveness. Assunta duly granted it, saying, “If my daughter can forgive him, who am I to withhold forgiveness?” The two attended Mass together the next day, receiving Holy Communion side-by-side. Filled with contrition for his actions and grace in his heart from his vision of Maria, Alessandro converted to a life of holiness, and became a Franciscan lay brother, working as a gardener in a Capuchin monastery. Numerous miracles were attributed to St. Maria Goretti following her death. The story of her holy resilience in the face of death affected many and she became widely venerated. The information-gathering process for Maria’s canonization began in 1935. More than 30 people testified towards Maria’s sanctity, including Alessandro Serenelli himself. Alessandro asserted that he was not able to complete his assault on young Maria, and thus she died as both a virgin and a martyr. Maria was beatified on April 27, 1947. On June 24, 1950, Maria Goretti was declared a saint by Pope Pius XII. Along with becoming the youngest saint in the Church’s history, the crowd at her canonization Mass was so large that more history was made. St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world, couldn’t contain all of the pilgrims who had traveled to celebrate Maria’s canonization, many of them being youth. Thus, the Mass was moved to St Peter’s Square, becoming the first open air canonization ever. Maria’s 82-year-old mother was in attendance, becoming the first mother to ever see her child canonized, as well as 66-year-old Alessandro Serenelli, who knelt down among nearly 500,000 people in the crowd, and cried tears of joy. Saint Maria Goretti is the perfect embodiment of what it means to be “pure of heart.” On her feast day in 2003, Pope John Paul II, speaking during his Sunday Angelus, said that the life of Saint Maria Goretti “reminds the youth of the third millennium that true happiness demands courage and a spirit of sacrifice, refusing every compromise with evil and having the disposition to pay personally, even with death, faithful to God and his commandments.” In a time when selfishness and pleasure can take precedence over sanctity and purity, we can look to the life of this great saint to stand firm in our values and virtues. Together let us join our voices with those standing in St. Peter’s Square in 1950, who when asked by Pope Pius, “Are you determined to resist any attack on your chastity with the help of the grace of God?” they answered with a resounding “YES!” Next Item Previous Item

St. Angela Merici, born in 1470 in Lombardy, Italy, founded the Ursulines and was a mystic. Orphaned young, she became a Franciscan tertiary and devoted herself to prayer. After a vision, she began educating girls in her hometown and later opened a school in Brescia. In 1524, while on a pilgrimage, she was temporarily blinded but regained her sight through prayer. In 1535, she founded the Ursulines, dedicated to the religious education of young women. Angela served as their superior until her death in 1540. Her order received papal approval in 1544, and she is venerated in Ursuline communities. Her feast day is January 27. St. Angela Merici Time Period: 1474-1540 Feast Day: January 27 Title/Attributes: Virgin, Founder of Ursuline Order, Incorrupt Location of Relic: Back Right Reliquary - Center Section Type of Relic: Bones St. Angela Merici is the foundress of the Ursulines and a mystic. Born on March 21, 1470, at Disenzano, Lombardy, Italy, she was orphaned at age 10. She and her sister went to nearby Salo, where they were raised by her uncle's family with loving care. Her sister died suddenly without the last sacraments, an event that distressed Angela. She then became a Franciscan tertiary (Third Order) and prayed for the repose of her sister's soul. When Angela was 20, her uncle died, and she returned to her home in Disenzano. There she converted her house into a school for teaching local girls the catechism. In a vision, she learned that she was to found a congregation dedicated to the religious training of young women. She started this work by opening a second school in Brescia, Italy. In 1524, Angela made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and was stricken blind while on the island of Crete. She finished her pilgrimage and returned to Crete, where she regained her sight while in prayer. The following year she went to Rome and was received by Pope Clement VII. The Holy Father asked her to remain in Rome, but she felt compelled to return to Brescia to continue her work. On November 25, 1535, Angela laid the foundation of the Ursulines, then called "The Cooperative of St. Ursula." They lived in a small house near St. Afra's Church in Brescia. She served as superior for five years, dying on January 27, 1540. Her body lies in the church of St. Afra, and she is sometime Ursulines received papal approval in 1544. St. Angela is especially venerated in Brescia and in Ursuline communities. She is depicted in liturgical art in her Ursuline habit. Bunson, Matthew E. Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints. 2nd ed., Our Sunday Visitor Inc.,u.s., 2014. Next Item Previous Item

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on August 26th, 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia. She left home at 18 to become a Catholic missionary nun and joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish order known for their missionary work in India. She was given the name Sister Mary Teresa and sent to Calcutta, where she established the Missionaries of Charity - a religious community dedicated to “laboring at the salvation and sanctification of the poorest of the poor.” Mother Teresa was a radiant servant of Christ who ventured boldly out into the world to tirelessly serve the poor and unwanted. St. Teresa of Calcutta Time Period: 1910-1997 Feast Day: September 5 Title/Attributes: Virgin, Foundress of Missionaries of Charity Location of Relic: Back Left Reliquary - Right Section Type of Relic: Hair The luminous missionary known as Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on August 26th, 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia. The youngest of Nikola and Dranafile Bojaxhiu’s three children, Agnes was of Albanian heritage and only eight years old when her father, a local businessman, suddenly passed away. Her mother, a very devout and religious woman, raised Agnes to possess a strong faith, and after becoming very involved in her parish youth group and interested in missionary work, she left home to become a Catholic missionary nun at the age of 18. She joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish order known for their missionary work in India. She was admitted as a postulant and was given the name Sister Mary Teresa, after Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Teresa was sent by her order to India, and arrived in Calcutta, located on the Eastern side of the country near Bangladesh, in 1929 to teach geography and catechism at St. Mary’s School for girls. She made her final profession to join the Loreto order on May 24, 1937, becoming what she called the “spouse of Jesus” for “all eternity” and was henceforth called Mother Teresa. She continued to teach at St. Mary’s and in 1944, was made the principal of the school. On September 10th, 1946, Mother Teresa was riding a train from Calcutta to Darjeeling for her annual retreat, when she received what she termed the “call within a call,” where Jesus’ thirst for souls took over her heart. Her desire to satiate that thirst and spread His love would become the motivating force in her life, driving her to establish the Missionaries of Charity, a religious community dedicated to “labouring at the salvation and sanctification of the poorest of the poor.” After nearly two years of planning and discernment, Mother Teresa received permission to begin, and on August 17, 1948, she dressed for the first time in her iconic white, blue-bordered sari, to leave the Loreto convent and enter the world of the poor. She cared for the elderly, nursed the dying, washed the sick and desired to find Jesus in “the unwanted, the unloved and the uncared for.” After many months, former students from her time teaching began to join her, and on October 7, 1950, the Missionaries of Charity was officially established as a religious order in the Archdiocese of Calcutta. Through Mother Teresa’s hard work in the 1950’s, and Pope Paul VI granting them the Decree of Praise (an official measure from the Holy See which elevated their order to the recognition of pontifical right) in 1965, the Missionaries of Charity began opening houses in Venezuela, Rome, Tanzania, and even in Communist countries such as the former Soviet Union, Albania and Cuba. Throughout all of the rapid growth, Mother Teresa remained rooted in the Lord, bearing witness to the joy of loving and respecting the dignity of every human person, while doing little things with great love. She persevered through what she called the “painful night” of her soul, where she experienced a deep, abiding feeling of being separated from God, starting around the time she began working for the poor, and leading up to the end of her life. Despite this “darkness” and her deteriorating health, she never wavered, and by 1997, there were more than 4,000 Missionaries of Charity in nearly 600 foundations across 123 different countries. She blessed her successor as Superior General for the Missionaries of Charity in March 1997, before returning to Calcutta to spend her final weeks, passing away on September 5th, 1997. She was granted the honor of a state funeral by the Government of India, and less than two years after her death, Pope John Paul II permitted the opening of her Cause of Canonization. Mother Teresa was a radiant, loving servant of Christ, who ventured boldly out into the world to tirelessly reach the poor and serve the unwanted. Next Item Previous Item

St. John Bosco, also called Don Bosco, was a tireless priest and founder of the Salesians, devoted to the care and education of poor and neglected youth. Born in Becchi, Italy, in 1815, he was ordained in 1841 and began his ministry in Turin. There, he gathered young people for prayer, classes, and vocational training, and later opened a boarding house and workshops. He was also the mentor of St. Dominic Savio. Under the patronage of Our Lady Help of Christians and St. Francis de Sales, he founded the Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. St. John Bosco Time Period: 1815-1888 Feast Day: January 31 Title/Attributes: Confessor, Founder Location of Relic: Back Left Reliquary - Right Section Type of Relic: Bones St. John Bosco, also known as Don Bosco, was a great priest and founder of the Salesians. He was the mentor of St. Dominic Savio. John Bosco was born in Becchi, Piedmont, Italy, and he began his studies for the priesthood at the age of sixteen. He was then ordained in 1841 at the age of twenty-six. John Bosco was sent to the Valdocco suburb of Turin, where he attracted hundreds of young people to his chapel services and evening classes. He also reopened a boarding house for apprentices, and workshops for to teach useful trades. In order to further the work that he had placed under the patronage of Our Lady Help of Christians and St. Francis de Sales, he laid the foundation for the Society of St. Francis de Sales, the Salesians. This was followed by a similar congregation for women, the Daughters of Our Lady Help of Christians (the Daughters of Mary Auxiliatrix). By the time of his death, the congregation had nearly a thousand priests and nine hundred sisters. His long labors were characterized by boundless patience and in the face of bitter opposition from the local Church and government officials. Pope Pius XI declared: “In his life the supernatural almost became natural and the extraordinary, ordinary.” Pius XI canonized him in 1934. Next Item Previous Item

Born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli in Sotto il Monte, Italy, Pope St. John XXIII served as the Supreme Pontiff from 1958 to 1963 and famously convened the Second Vatican Council. Ordained in 1904, he served as secretary to the bishop of Bergamo, a military chaplain in World War I, and later held diplomatic posts in Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, and France. Known for his pastoral warmth, he helped rescue Jews during World War II and was made Cardinal Patriarch of Venice in 1953. Elected pope in 1958, he inspired the Church with his encyclicals Pacem in Terris and Mater et Magistra, and his call to open the Second Vatican CounciI. He died in 1963 and was canonized in 2014. St. John XXIII Time Period: 1881-1963 Feast Day: October 11 Title/Attributes: Pope, Confessor Location of Relic: Back Left Reliquary - Center Section Type of Relic: Piece of Clothing Pope St. John XXIII was the Supreme Pontiff from 1958-1963 and he was the one who summoned the Second Vatican Council. He was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli in Sotto il Monte, Italy. He entered the seminary in Bergamo in 1912 and became a Franciscan Tertiary four years later. From 1901 – 1905, he studied at the Pontifical Roman Seminary and was ordained to the priesthood on August 10, 1904. Following his ordination, he was appointed secretary to the bishop of Bergamo and taught and preached in the region. He was drafted into the Italian miliary in 1915 and served as a sergeant in the medical corps and as a chaplain. When World War I ended, he opened a house for students. He was then called to the Vatican by Pope Benedict XV and given the office of Italian President of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. In 1925, he was named Apostolic Visitator to Bulgaria, and was consecrated as a bishop on march 19, 1925. In Bulgaria, Roncalli was well respected and served the people after the earthquake in 1928 and conducted Vatican affairs in Bulgaria with tact and warmth. In 1935, he became the Apostolic Delegate to Turkey and Greece, again displaying sensitivity and diplomacy in dealing with Orthodox and Islamic matters. During World War II, he saved countless Jews by providing them with “transit visas” from the Vatican. At the close of the war he became the Apostolic Nuncio to France, appointed to this post by Pope Pius XII. He aided in rebuilding of France, showing himself prudent and a visionary in dealing with ecclesiastical associations and personnel. In 1953, he was made the Cardinal Patriarch of Venice. Upon the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Cardinal Roncalli was elected pope on October 28, 1958. He was welcomed by people all around the world and issued encyclicals that had an impact on the post-war affairs. He wrote Pacem in Terris and Mater et Magistra. His Journal of a Soul was one of the best-selling books of his era. On January 25, 2959, he announced the start of the Second Vatican Council and brought the prelates of the world into session from 1962-1965. His motto clearly demonstrated his spiritual maturity, as he counseled “Patience and Peace.” Pope John XXIII died in Rome, and his remains were unearthed and put on display in a crystal coffin in St. Peter’s Square on June 3, 2001. The body of John XXIII was found to be incorrupt. Pope John Paul II beatified John XXIII on September 3, 2001. He was canonized with Pope John Paul II by Pope Francis on April 27, 2014. Next Item Previous Item

St. Jane Frances de Chantal was a French noblewoman and widow who became a close spiritual friend of St. Francis de Sales. After her husband’s death in 1601, she devoted herself to a life of service and holiness. With the support of St. Francis, she founded the Congregation of the Visitation in 1610, a religious order that welcomed widows and women unable to follow stricter convent rules. Jane founded sixty convents throughout France and inspired many with her deep faith and compassion. She died in 1641 and was canonized in 1767. She is buried beside St. Francis de Sales in Annecy. St. Jane Frances de Chantal Time Period: 1572-1641 Feast Day: August 12 Title/Attributes: Widow, Mother, Foundress Location of Relic: Back Right Reliquary - Center Section Type of Relic: Bones St. Jane Frances de Chantal was the Foundress of the order of the Visitation and a dear friend of St. Francis de Sales. She was born in Dijon, France, and married the Baron de Chantal. He was killed in a hunting accident in 1601, and Jane became a disciple and close friend of St. Francis de Sales. After arranging for the care of her children Jane, Mary Faure, and Charlotte, and a servant, Anne Coste, she founded the Congregation of the Visitation in 1610, thanks to the encouragement of St. Francis de Sales. The Visitation convents accepted widows and others who could not endure the more rigorous life of other convents. In the next three decades, Jane founded sixty convents before dying at Moulins on December 13 after a visit to Queen Anne of Paris. Francis de Sales wrote On the Love of God for Jane and her companions, and he called Jane “the perfect woman.” She is buried near St. Francis de Sales at Annecy and was canonized in 1767. Next Item Previous Item

St. Victoria is a little-known saint remembered alongside her sister, Anatolia. Both refused persistent suitors and were imprisoned and starved for rejecting marriage. Anatolia converted to Christianity and evangelized many in Picenum before being executed for her faith. Victoria was later executed, possibly at Tribulano, for refusing to sacrifice to pagan gods. Inspired by their courage, a guard converted and was also martyred. Their feast day is celebrated on December 23rd as a witness to faith and steadfastness in persecution. St. Victoria Time Period: d.c. 304 Feast Day: December 23 Title/Attributes: Martyr Location of Relic: Back Left Reliquary - Left Section Type of Relic: Bones St. Victoria is a little-known saint remembered alongside her sister, Anatolia. Both refused persistent suitors and were imprisoned and starved for rejecting marriage. Anatolia converted to Christianity and evangelized many in Picenum before being executed for her faith. Victoria was later executed, possibly at Tribulano, for refusing to sacrifice to pagan gods. Inspired by their courage, a guard converted and was also martyred. Their feast day is celebrated on December 23rd as a witness to faith and steadfastness in persecution. Next Item Previous Item

St. Leonard of Port Maurice was a Franciscan proponent of the Blessed Sacrament, the devotion of the Sacred Heart, the Stations of the Cross, and the Immaculate Conception. He was born in Port Maurice, Italy in 1676. In 1697 he joined the Franciscans of Strict Observance. He was then ordained a priest in 1703 and began preaching all over Italy. By 1736 he was attracting huge crowds in Rome and elsewhere and he established six hundred Stations of the Cross and promoted various devotions. Leonard died at his friary in 1751 and is named the patron saint of parish missions. St. Leonard of Port Maurice Time Period: 1676-1751 Feast Day: November 26 Title/Attributes: Confessor, Franciscan Location of Relic: Back Right Reliquary - Left Section Type of Relic: Piece of Habit (Clothing) St. Leonard of Port Maurice was a Franciscan proponent of the Blessed Sacrament, the devotion of the Sacred Heart, the Stations of the Cross, and the Immaculate Conception. He was born Leonard Casanova in Port Maurice, Italy in 1676. In 1697 he joined the Franciscans of Strict Observance. He was then ordained a priest in 1703 and began preaching all over Italy. By 1736 he was attracting huge crowds in Rome and elsewhere and he established almost six hundred Stations of the Cross. In 1744 he was sent by Pope Benedict XIV to preach on Corsica, and then returned in 1751. Leonard died at his friary in 1751 and is named the patron saint of parish missions. Next Item Previous Item

Nearly everything known about Saint Monica comes from the writings of her well-known troublemaker of a son, Saint Augustine, but it’s believed Monica was born around 332 A.D. in the town of Tagaste (present-day Algeria). Married to a pagan Roman official, they had three children but none could compare to Augustine, who Monica spent countless nights praying and fasting for. She even followed him to Rome, where she joyfully witnessed his conversion and baptism in 387. Known as the “Mother of the Virtues”, she is the patron saint of both difficult marriages and difficult children. St. Monica Time Period: 332-387 Feast Day: August 27 Title/Attributes: Mother of St. Augustine Location of Relic: Main Reliquary - Right Section Type of Relic: Bones The life of Saint Monica gave her every opportunity to be a bitter mother, a nagging wife, and a lukewarm Christian, but instead, she patiently persevered through every difficulty and is now known as a holy, virtuous saint. Nearly everything known about Saint Monica comes from the writings of her well-known troublemaker of a son, Saint Augustine, so many facts and dates are unconfirmed in their exact detail. Regardless, it is believed Monica was born around the year 332 A.D. in North Africa, in the town of Tagaste (present-day Algeria). She was married off at a young age to Patricius, a pagan Roman official. Patricius inherited his mother’s violent temper, and it was just Monica’s luck that her mother-in-law also lived with the couple, leading to more than the occasional temper flare. It is written that Monica’s prayers and Christians beliefs “deeply annoyed” Patricius, but he is said to have nonetheless respected her beliefs. Still, there was animosity between the couple when the topic of baptism arose for their three children, Augustine, Navigius, and Perpetua. Despite Monica’s pleadings, Patricius wouldn’t allow them to be baptized Christians, until their son Augustine fell ill. Seeing her distress, Patricius finally agreed, only to withdraw his consent when the boy recovered. Monica was undeterred by her brutal husband and irritable mother-in-law, even when Patricius’ infidelity caused further rifts in their marriage. Monica prayed for their conversion every night, and slowly but surely won them over for the Lord. Patricius finally converted and was baptized one year before his death. During that time of Patricius’ gradual conversion, their three children were growing up in drastically different directions. Perpetua and Navigius both entered religious life, but their oldest son Augustine, who had recovered from his previous ailments, became lazy and coarse in his life decisions. When Patricius passed away, Monica, distressed about her son’s future, sent the 17-year-old Augustine to Carthage for schooling. Unfortunately, Carthage would provide Augustine ample opportunity to further fall into immorality, greatly wounding Monica’s heart. He had become a Manichaean, a 3rd century heretical religion focused on “all flesh is evil” and other non-Christian views. When Augustine finished his education, he returned home to his mother and when he shared his newfound views with her, she drove him away, refusing to allow him to eat or sleep in her house. Monica spent many tearful nights praying earnestly for her son’s conversion. Despite their estrangement, she soon had a vision that assured her Augustine would one day return to the faith, and that she needed to reconcile with her wayward son. Determined to bring her son closer to Christ, but still distraught about his current religious views, she visited a local bishop who consoled her with the words “the child of those tears shall never perish.” From that time on, Monica began earnest fasting and prayer for her son, staying as close to him as possible, which for the future Saint Augustine, was sometimes a little too close. At the age of 29, Augustine made the decision to travel to Rome to teach rhetoric. Naturally, Monica was determined to join him in order to keep a close and prayerful eye on him, an idea which Augustine wasn’t overly fond of. He attempted to stealthily depart for Rome without his mother by telling her he was going down to the docks to say goodbye to a friend, only to instead jump on a ship himself and sail away. The inspired Monica refused to allow her son to slip away from her again, and she soon set a course for Rome herself. When she arrived, she learned he had just traveled further on to Milan. So too did Monica. Her pursuit of her son led her to the doorstep of a third future saint in this journey, the wise Saint Ambrose. Ambrose was the Bishop of Milan who Augustine quickly came under the influence of thanks to his deep theological knowledge and influence. He also became Saint Monica’s spiritual director, and she accepted his advice in everything, humbly growing in holiness alongside her son, who she continued to pray for day and night. After six months in Milan, Monica was able to joyfully witness Augustine finally joining the church, being baptized by Saint Ambrose on Easter in the year 387, at St. John the Baptist church. Following his baptism, Monica and Augustine departed for Africa, where they felt called to spread the word of God, but although no one else was aware of it, Monica knew her journey was nearing its end. While stopped on their way in the Roman city of Civitavecchia, Monica fell severely ill, and eventually passed away. Augustine’s recording of her final words paints the picture of a loving mother who desired nothing more than to pursue her son in order to return him to the embrace of Christ. “Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now left for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled.” Monica’s remains were buried in Ostia, and then later moved into a hidden crypt in the church of Santa Aurea during the 6th century. Monica’s witness and sanctity despite an unfaithful husband and a faithless son led to a strong following of faithful believers, and a feast in her honor was held every year on May 4th. In 1430, Pope Martin V ordered Monica’s relics be brought to Rome for veneration. As her relics were being transported to Rome, numerous miracles were said to have occurred along the path, further spreading the legend of Monica of Hippo. Her relics would eventually find their home in the Basilica di Sant’Agostino, a church built to honor Saint Augustine. Her funeral epitaph survived in ancient manuscripts about her life, until in 1945, while digging a hole to plant a football post, two young boys found the original stone epitaph of Saint Monica. Translated, the tablet’s Latin message titled Saint Monica “Mother of the Virtues.” Today, she is the patron saint of married women, difficult marriages, difficult children, alcoholics, victims of adultery or unfaithfulness, victims of verbal abuse, and conversion of relatives. Patience in prayer is one of the hardest skills to master in our faith journey; we want God to give us answers and give us answers now! We should look to the witness of patient Saint Monica, who trusted that years and years of prayer, paired with strong, unshakeable virtues, would eventually bring the souls of her husband, her mother-in-law, and even her headstrong son, to be where were all so greatly desire – basking fully in the love of Jesus Christ. Next Item Previous Item